HUMAN beings are social creatures. From the moment we are born, we depend on each other to learn how to act and speak. In fact, for the first few months of a baby’s life, they cannot differentiate themselves from their caretakers. They do not realise that they are separate human beings but believe that they are connected to their caretakers. They think that their emotions, needs, and desires are all combined with those of their guardian. Even as we grow up, we bond deeply with our family members and friends, developing similar interests and preferences. This bond is so deep that when someone we love is crying or laughing, we find ourselves feeling these emotions as well.

The social nature of human beings is not always centred around the need to form bonds and connect. In some cases, it is simply about desiring to be liked and validated. For example, many young people follow celebrities and trends on social media. They then take inspiration from these trends and celebrities to shape parts of their own identity, such as their fashion, language, and even their very appearance. They do this not to form emotional bonds with celebrities but to emulate the qualities that garnered the celebrities’ praise and admiration. This need to follow trends and constantly seek the positive opinions of others is usually harmless and a normal part of adolescence. However, when we allow this need to overtake our every decision, even as we enter adulthood, we push ourselves onto a path where we no longer get to be ourselves.

Today, we can look up at the sun and imagine our planet revolving around it. We can heal stomach ulcers with the help of antibiotics. We can map out routes all the way around the Earth without considering, even for a moment, whether we might fall off the planet. All of these facts are a natural part of everyday life, so much so that they have become incorporated into the basic information that children learn in school. However, once upon a time, these facts were nothing more than theories, and those who proposed or supported them were viewed as bizarre. Not only were these great thinkers and scientists ridiculed, but some were also persecuted and forced to retract or hide their theories under the threat of death. These very theories have since been proven to be facts of great importance, serving as the foundation for many other areas of research.

Our unity and connection as a collective human race are indisputably great strengths. Nevertheless, this very quality can, in some cases, begin to limit us if we are never willing to risk others’ opinions of us for the sake of self-discovery or simple curiosity. If the great scientists and philosophers of the past had destroyed every thought and theory because they feared how their colleagues would view them, we would never have evolved as much as we have today.

Every day, we face several decisions that shape us as individuals. Most of these decisions have consequences that only affect us. When we reach the end of our respective journeys, the only way we can dispel the pain of potential regrets is with the deep belief that every decision we made was for the sake of either ourselves or the general betterment of the world and not just because we wanted to please those around us. Can you imagine the bitterness of having to justify a poor decision to yourself when you know deep inside that you did not make it for a meaningful reason?

We are just as powerful and unique as we are social. While connections are important, it is even more important to learn to distinguish the boundary between taking inspiration from others and being entirely controlled by them. We are all capable of ideas and thoughts that are wholly and truly ours in every sense. Some of these ideas can change the world for the better. Let us not suppress them for the sake of fickle opinions.